Game, set, match!

It seems like everyone is picking up a racket and hitting up their nearest courts these days (and it’s not just to wear a cute outfit!). While it may feel like it’s all fun and games, you’re really doing yourself a bigger service than you might have thought.

In 2018, a long-term study from Copenhagen was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, observing more than 8,500 adults over a 25-year period. Participants were evaluated for the differential increase in life expectancy associated with playing sports. Did this type of fitness have an impact on how long someone could live? Were certain sports more “healthy” than others?

The “healthiest” sport

The study found that playing tennis was associated with a nearly 10-year increase in life expectancy compared to those who were sedentary.

“Tennis is a sport that engages many of our anatomic and physiological systems,” says Dr. Rob Wang, co-chief tournament physician of the National Bank Open. “It’s good for cardiovascular health, neuromuscular health, and bone health…it engages all of these systems simultaneously.” 

When you think of running around the tennis court, you think about balance, perception, coordination, and power. You have to unconsciously do all of these things at the same time to create a game worth playing. It makes it a mental workout as well as a physical one.

“In my opinion, this is because tennis engages a part of your brain called the cerebellum,” says Dr. Wang. “This part of the brain helps with balance, coordination, and reflexes. Once the cerebellum is activated, there is a beneficial interaction between it and the rest of your nervous system, which is connected to your musculoskeletal system.”

In other words, the way our brain functions while we play tennis improves our balance, coordination, and other important skills for the sport, but also general well-being.

The next time you miscalculate the distance when you’re stepping down from a curb, you’ll thank your training for saving you from a twisted ankle.

 

Social Circles

To round out the sport, tennis also flexes your social skills.

“I've been playing since I was six years old,” says Jennifer Bishop, Masters-Level player and former chair of Tennis Canada. “I'm now 53…and  the people that I have competed against, practiced with, and travelled with are among my closest friends and allies now. My teammates from college tennis in Florida are people that I still remain regularly connected with through births and deaths, and divorces.”

Despite its popularity, the number of people who play tennis is still relatively small compared to sports like hockey or soccer. Those who do pick up a racket tend to stay loyal to the sport, primarily because it’s relatively easy for anyone to try. “Essentially, as long as you are healthy enough to move on the tennis court, then you can learn it at any age,” says Dr. Wang.

Injury Prevention

When you’re active, you’re at greater risk of hurting yourself than if you were, let’s say, sitting on the couch. But the long-term benefits outweigh the short “safe” periods. 

We hear about tennis pros like Rafael Nadal experiencing persistent hip pain throughout his thirties, Ons Jabeur ending her 2024 season due to a shoulder injury, and 23-year-old Jannik Sinner hurting his elbow, preventing him from playing in this year’s National Bank Open. So, is it better to play for the health benefits and a possible increase in life expectancy, even though there is a risk of severe injury, even at a young age, versus not playing at all? 

“I think it’s a balance,” says Dr. Wang. “You have to make sure you’re playing in a healthy state. If people are playing and they experience symptoms or pain from a medical perspective, we would always tell them to seek medical attention to get a proper diagnosis.” It’s about not ignoring the first signs of something being off or tweaked, taking the appropriate steps to rest and heal, and starting back up again. 

Professional players have to battle through title-winning matches with injuries if they want to continue to compete, but the average player doesn’t. So you can feel good about getting out on the court and taking it slow.

Access To Tennis

One of the biggest hurdles to increasing life expectancy through tennis, specifically, is access to the sport. And while it may seem like a relatively cheap onboarding cost (all you need is a racket and some tennis balls), lessons, coaches, and clubs are a must if you want to improve your game, and they all come at a high cost.

“Tennis is technical,” says Dr. Wang. “You need lessons and training to get the fundamentals right. With many other sports, if played on a recreational level or with regular practice, you can get much better at them.”

Affordability is just one of the barriers to entry of tennis. Privilege and race are two more, something Jennifer is speaking out on. 

“I grew up in Newfoundland, where we had no indoor courts, and my early lessons were against a wall and in a high school gymnasium,” she says. “I didn't grow up in a system that lent itself to me being this great tennis player that is still playing at this high level in her mid-fifties.” 

Tennis Canada is undertaking initiatives to build more facilities, more indoor courts, and has committed to creating a more inclusive atmosphere for the sport, through status, race, and age, Jennifer says. “ When I go and play in these masters tournaments, there are players who are 30 and there are players in their eighties. There's even an over-90 category now.”

Off-Court Goals

Although the original study that showed tennis to increase life expectancy by up to 10 years was based on physical metrics from on-court activities, there’s no denying that the sport’s benefits reach off the court as well.

“If I want to still play several times a week, not even competing, I have to spend more time stretching off the court, more time doing some cardio off the court, and more time doing upper body strength,” says Jennifer. “All of a sudden, I’m spending an extra 10 minutes stretching a day, eating a healthy meal the night before, fuelling well at breakfast, and making sure I’m hydrated. It all goes hand in hand.”

If you’re ready to improve your healthy habits through a 360-degree approach, it’s time to pick up a racket. Get inspired by the professionals at Canada’s National Bank Open from July 26-August 7. 

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